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4 SheetsSheet 1.

O. H. WILLGOX & G. H. NOBLE.

Patented Oct. 1, 1889.

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MACHINE FOR SEWING STEAW BRAID.

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(No Model.) '4 Sheets-Sheet 2. G. H. WILLGOX 8v G NOBLE.

MACHINE FOR SEWING STRAW BRAID.

Patented Oct. 1, 1889.

H. PCTUIS Phoiolnhogrnphcr. Washingm D. C.

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 3. G. H. WILLGOX 8v G. H. NOBLE.

MAGHINE FOR SEWING STRAW BRAID.

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MACHINE FOR $EWING STRAW BRAID.

No, 412,218. Patented Oct. 1, 1889.

UNITED STATES PATENT CHARLES H. W'ILLOOX, OF NEYV YORK, N. Y., ANDGEORGE l-I. NOBLE, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNORS TO THEVVILLCOX 8c GIBBS SEVING MACHINE COMPANY, OF NEV YORK, N. Y.

MACHINE FOR SEWING STRAW BRAID.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent NO. 412,218, dated October1, 1889. Application filed November '1', 1887. Serial No. 254,522. (Nomodel.) Patented in England October 14:, 1887, No. 13,969.

To all whom it 11mg concern:

Be it known that we, CHARLES H. WILL- COX, of New York city, in thecounty and State of New York, and GEORGE H. NOBLE, of Providence, in thecounty of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented a new anduseful Improvement in Machines for Sewing Straw Braid, which improvementhas been patented in Great Britain by Patout No. 13,969, dated October14,1887, and is fully set forth in the following specification.

This invention relates more particularly to the machine described in thespecification of our application for Letters Patent of the UnitedStates, filed June 8, 1886, and 0thcially numbered -20 L546, for sewingstraw braid by means of stitches resembling those made by hand, in thaton the right side of the work they are in distinct loops separated byspaces; and it has for its object to modify and improve the constructionand operation in certain particulars. In the said machine needles orsewing implements are attached to a reciprocatory carrier below theworkplate, are thrust up through the work, and cooperate with certainlooping devices which are carried by the presser-foot above thework-plate. Since these looping devices are raised and lowered with thepresser-foot, whose position in operation depends upon the thickness ofthe work beneath, it was found desirable to make the needles rise higheror not so high, according to the higher or lower position of thepresser-foot, in order uniformly to present the looped thread in thebest position to receive thelooper. The necessary variation in theneedle-stroke is effected by a controller mechanism, which is connectedwith the resser-foot, so as to be automatically set or adjusted thereby,and which properly governs or controls the motion imparted to theneedles or sewing implements by the needle-operating mechanism. In thesaid machine this controller mechanism is clamped, so as to prevent itsbeing shifted, except at one period in the formation of eachstitchnamely, after the feed has gone out of action and before theneedles are thrust through the work. It is desirable, then, to unclampit only for a short time in order to have it properly clamped before theneedles get well into the work. A

suitably short release, while sufiicient to permit the adjustment of thecontroller mechanism when the machine is running slow, is inadequate, ornot always adequate, when the machine is running fast, and thecontroller mechanism may not always properly adjust itself before it isagain clamped.

The present invention provides means which release the controllermechanism after the needles have reached the top of their stroke. Atthis time it is not only possible to leave the controller mechanismunclamped for a longer time, but forces generated by the needleoperatingmechanism are or may be eifectively utilized to shift the controllermechanism.

In the accompanying drawings,which form part of this specification,Figure I is a View,

in longitudinal section and front elevation, of a straw-sewing machinecontaining the improvements which constitute the invention, certainmechanism which has no immediate connection with the invention beingomitted. Figs. II and III are cross-sections of said machine. Fig. IV isa partial end elevation, and Fig. V is a partial view in horizontalsection.

The omitted mechanism and a large part also of the mechanism shown is ormay be the same as in our said application.

It will be convenient first to describe this old machinery or such partsthereof as is deemed useful, using the marks of reference previouslyemployed, and referring to our application for a full description of anydetails omitted. The looper V and the threader W are carried by avertically-movable arm X, to a lateral projection 145 ofwhich thepresserfoot (not shown) is attached. The rear end of the presser-arm Xis attached to the rockshaft B. When the needles R S have been thrustthrough the work, after reaching the top of their stroke they are drawndown so as to throw a loop from the eye-pointed needle R in the path ofthe looper V, which is thereupon caused to advance by mechanism notshown, and to enter and then to stretch the loop in front of thethreader WV, which catches the upper side of the loop, and by an outwardmovement (to the left in Fig. I) introduces it under the barb of theneedle S. The looper and the threader then retire, the needles descend,the feed takes place, and the needles rise, the eye-pointed needle Rpassing through the loop held on the barb-needle S, and the latterafterward releasing said loop, which is driven around the eye-pointedneedle and is eventually locked by the thread pushed through it by saidneedle R. The needle-carrier P, Fig. I, is reciprocated through therock-shaftY and other connections by an eccentric F, (see Fig. II,)fixed on and revolving with the main shaft D, which is j ournaled inbearings of the frame A, and is driven by any suitable means. Theeccentric F acts through the strap 7, pin 8, (in the outer end of aguide-arm 13,) link Z, pin 9, and block 11 to move the arm 12 up anddown, and thus to vibrate the rock-shaft Y, and the motion is conveyedfrom the rock-shaft Y to the needle carrier P through the lever-arm 19and link 17. By placing the block 11in the slot ted arm 12 nearer therock-shaft Y the latter is turned through a larger angle and theneedle-carrier P is given a longer stroke. By placing it nearer theouter end of the slotted arm 12 the length of stroke is diminished. Theposition of the block 11 is controlled by a connection with thepresser-foot or presserarm X through the controller-shaft A. When theblock 11 is too near the rock-shaft, the presser-arm X, being drawn downby the presser-spring, (not shown,) acts through the boss 27 anddepending projections 26 (both fixed on the Ipresser-arm) and the link25 upon the screw-pin 28, in the outer end of lever-arm 24, and pushesit down, thereby turning the controller-shaft A, moving the arm 22 up,and through the link 21, lever A, link 23, and pin 9, shifting the block11 away from the shaft Y until the further motion of said presser-arm isarrested by the presser-foot resting upon the work. When the block'll istoo far from the rock-shaft Y, then the fiat controller-spring 226(whose near end is fastened to the arm 225 on rockshaft B) draws backthe lever A, and with it, of course, the block 11, turning thecontroller-shaft A and lifting the arm 24 and pin 28 until the lattercomes into contact with the upper end of the slot in the-link 25, andfurther motion is arrested. The parts are so proportioned and adjustedthat so long as the pin 28 is at the top of said slot theneedle-operating mechanism gives to the needlecarrier P such a stroke aswill present the needles in proper position relatively to the loopermechanism or looper V and threader WV at the time the loop is taken.During the time the needles are being thrust through the work, and alsoduring the operation of the feed, the controller mechanism is preventedfrom moving by clamping the tail 34 on lever A. The lever O, mountedloosely dles or sewing implements R S are thrust through the work, and aconsiderably longer release just after they reach the top of theirstroke. A suitable form of cam is shown in Fig. III. In the positionshown (the needles being at the bottom of their stroke) the controllermechanism is clamped and shifting of the block 11 is prevented. Theportion 300 of the cam-groove acts upon the lever O to release thecontroller mechanism before the needles enter the work, and to restorethe clamp very soon after the release, while the portion 301 acts torelease the clamp just after the needles reach the top of their'stroke.During this second release the arm 12 of the rock-shaft Y is inclinedupward, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. II, and the downward thrustof the needle-operating eccentric F, being conveyed through the link Z,tends to shift the block 11 (whose position regulates the needlemovement) toward the rock-shaft Y-that is to say, in the direction toadjust said block 11 and the controller mechanism for a higher positionofthe presser-foot. The controller-spring 226 tends to shift said block11 and the controller mechanism in the same direction. Consequently, ifduringthe operation of the machine the presser-foot has been lifted bythe work becoming thicker and the controller mechanism fails properly toadjust itself during the release of the controllerclamp by the portion300 of the operatingcam I, then so soon as the said clamp is re leasedby the portion 301 the thrust of the needle-operating eccentric F,(which thrust is greater as the speed of the machine is greater,) or thetension of the spring 226, or

both said forces, act upon the controller mechanism and shift the block11 inward to the required extent (determined by the pin 28 striking thetop of the slot in the link 25) by the time the looper V is operated totake the loop from the eye-pointed needle, which operation is made totake place a suitable time after the needles have reached the top oftheir stroke. This shifting of thebloek 11 it diminishes the amount ofdownward motion which. is given to the needles prior to the advance ofthe looper V; but it nevertheless allows some such motion to occur, inorder that a loop may be thrown out in the path of the looper. Shouldthe work become thinner, the presser-spring forces down the presser-armX and presser-foot, which carry with them the controller mechanism,while the latter is unclamped against the pressure of any counteractingforces. By the form shown of the portion 301 of the clampingcam theclamp is released for a considerable part of the revolution, so that thebox 11 can he slipped outwardly-that is, away from the rock-shaft Yuntilthe feed'surface is about to rise and take hold of the work, at whichtime the clamp is restored to prevent any change in the position of thecontroller mechanism which might be caused by the rise of the feedlifting the presser-foot and presserarm.

The needles R S are attached to the needle-carrier P by means of abracket 200, to which the needles are or may be secured, as in theaforesaid application.

Incidentally, new or improved means are shown for preventing entrance ofstraw into the machinery. They form no part of the present invention,but constitute the subj cot-matter of our application filed May 1, 1888,and serially numbered 272,451.

The invention is not restricted to the precise construction andarrangement shown.

Ne claim as our invention or discovery- 1. In combination with theneedle-operating mechanism having a part adjustable to regulate theneedlestroke, the controller mechanism for adjusting said part, and thecontroller-clamping devices, means whereby said clamping devices arereleased after the needles reach the top of their stroke, said meanscomprising a moving part of the machine-such as a rotarycam-surface-which releases and restores the clamp periodically and comesinto position to effect such release after the needles reach the top oftheir stroke, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with the needle-operating mechanism, comprising arock-shaft provided with an operating-arm, a box adjustable lengthwiseof said arm, an eccentric and link for vibrating said arm and rockshaftthrough said box, and the controller mechanism for adjusting said box,of an automatic intermittent clamp whose pressure is relieved when saidoperating-arm, eccentric, and link are in position for the force of saideccentric to move the said box in the direction for increasing theneedle-stroke, said intermittent clamp having a suitable moving partsuchas a rotary cam-snrfacewhich periodically releases and restores theclamp,

and which comes into position to effect such release at the time justmentioned, substantially as described.

3. In combination with the looper mechan ism, the needle-operatingmechanism having a part adjustable to regulate the needlestroke, thecontroller mechanism for adjusting said part and the devices forclamping the controller mechanism, and the cam which acts upon saiddevices and causes them to release the said controller mechanism beforethe needles are thrust through the work to clamp the same during thisoperation, to release the clamp after the needles have reached the topof their stroke and before the looper mechanism takes the loop, and torestore the clamp during the time of action of the feed, said cam havinginclines which act in succession upon the clamping devices and releaseand restorev the clamp at the respective times stated, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof we have signed this specification in the presenceof two subscribing witnesses.

CHAS. H. WILLCOX. GEORGE H. NOBLE. Witnesses:

GILMAN E. J OPP, LEONARD P. HASKINS.

